In short, Pettitte's ready for big start

Veteran lefty is only slightly concerned about physical state

Manager Joe Girardi asked Andy Pettitte if he was ready to pitch World Series Game 6 on short rest.

"And he said he felt great. It doesn't take more than that," Girardi told MLB.com.

It is to be the first time Pettitte pitches on three days' rest in more than two years. For his career, he is 4-6 with a 4.15 ERA in 14 starts on three days' rest. In the postseason, he is 3-1 with a 2.88 ERA.

"Physically, for me, it obviously is a little concern, just seeing how my body is going to feel on that short rest," Pettitte said. "But again, you prepare for this. I've been resting the last few days, and I feel like I've had the time off that I need, and mentally, I'll be able to get in the place I need to. I mean, I'm hoping for that."

"Pedro is ready," Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel told MLB.com. "He has already been told, and he's ready to go. I mean, how much do I expect out of him? I expect probably something similar to what we got the other night.

"I think that he's definitely capable of giving us anywhere from six to seven innings in the game, maybe longer, depending on how many pitches he throws early."

Martinez is grateful for opportunity: Pedro Martinez knows he put himself in the right position when he signed with the Phillies this summer.

"I look at this situation as a blessing," Martinez told the Philadelphia Daily News. "I mean, what else would I want? I'm doing the job I love. I'm doing something that not everybody gets to do.

"If you consider the fact that two months back, I was sitting at home not doing anything. None of you were thinking about me whatsoever. None of you were asking me questions. And today, I am here, probably pitching one of the biggest games ever in the World Series. ... This is just a great gift to me. This is a blessing."

Gardner OK after dramatic catch: Filling in for the injured Melky Cabrera, Brett Gardner made a leaping catch of Jayson Werth's long drive before slamming into the outfield wall at Citizen's Bank Park in Game 5.

"I knew it wasn't going to be out, and I knew it would be close to the wall," Gardner told the New York Daily News. "It was just a point in the game when we're losing by four runs and can't afford to give up a leadoff double or anything like that. So, I tried not to let it drop."

Gardner held onto the ball and sprawled on the ground. Werth, unsure whether the center fielder had held on, slowly circled the bases just in case.

"Physically, it didn't really hurt at all, but it knocked the wind out of me," Gardner said. "For five or 10 seconds, you feel like you're going to die, and then after that you're all right. I'm fine."

Park heats up with octopus: Chan Ho Park serves up his 95-mph fastballs with the help of a steady diet of octopus, according to his wife, Ri-Hye Park.

"He likes it stir-fried and spicy," Ri-Hye, 34, who married the South Korean baseball star in December 2005 and is a trained chef, told the Philadelphia Daily News.

Lee ready and waiting for the nod: Cliff Lee, who has won both games for the Phillies in the World Series, says he'd be ready for a Game 7.

"I'll pitch whenever they want me to pitch," Lee told MLB.com. "That's about as clear as I can say it. I'm ready whenever. I don't really get that sore, so I'll be ready to pitch whenever they want me to. If it's going to help the team win, I'm in."

Hamels prepared to start Game 7 if needed: Cole Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP, says he would also like to take the ball if the Phillies can force a Game 7 against the Yankees.

"Who wouldn't want the ball in Game 7?" Hamels told MLB.com. "This is the ultimate dream to be able to pitch in the most competitive situation anybody could ever be in -- that would be to be in Game 7 of the World Series. Even though I might not have the best results leading up to it, I've always wanted it."

Francisco ends up in World Series after all: Ben Francisco found himself living the dream as the Phillies returned to the World Series.

"I thought to myself, 'I want to be there next year,'" Francisco, the former Indian who joined the Phillies as part of the Cliff Lee trade, told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

"At the beginning of this season, I thought I would get there with Cleveland," he said. "Then, I got traded, and the dream lived."

Werth remains a believer: Jayson Werth knows the odds don't favor a team that loses three of the first four games of the World Series, but after getting one back to make the series three-games-to-two in favor of the Yankees, he still likes his chances.

"We could talk about it all day: the type of team we have, the camaraderie and all that -- that only scratches the surface of what we have here," Werth told MLB.com. "It's a special group, and we still have a chance to do something really special."

Utley focused on Series, not homers: Chase Utley will have plenty of time this winter to reflect on the achievement of hitting his fifth home run of the World Series and tying Reggie Jackson's 1977 record.

"Obviously, it's great company," Utley told MLB.com. "At some point, not right now, maybe I'll look back on it and see what kind of special moment it is. But right now, our goal is to win two more games."

Blum back for another year with Astros: The Astros have reportedly agreed to terms with Geoff Blum on a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2011.

"It's extremely nice," Blum told MLB.com. "It's a good situation to be in -- good for myself, and it's a phenomenal thing for my family.

Blum hit .247 with 10 home runs and 49 RBIs this season for the Astros, playing in 120 games. Most of his time was spent at third base, where he committed only three errors.

Bloomquist has surgery on both knees: Willie Bloomquist, who played just about every position for the Royals in 2009, had arthroscopic surgery on both knees to clear up some lingering problems.

"I had some stuff in there that'd been giving me problems since before the All-Star break and they were sore starting in June," Bloomquist told MLB.com. "But it's one of those things when you got 'em loosened up and oiled up and started running around, it didn't hurt as bad. But I'd be lying if I said they didn't bother me the whole second half of the year and then some."